Olivier Messiaen: Complete Chronological Catalogue on Spotify

"A true music, that is to say, spiritual, a music which may be an act of faith; a music which may touch upon all subjects without ceasing to touch upon God; an original music, in short, whose language may open a few doors, take down some yet distant stars." - Olivier Messiaen, in the preface of his Technique de mon Langage Musical (Technique of my Musical Language)

Olivier Messiaen was a French composer, organist, teacher, and ornithologist whose music is distinguished by his deep devotion to Catholicism, exoticism, and nature. - AllMusic

On the fall of France in 1940, Messiaen was made a prisoner of war, during which time he composed his Quatuor pour la fin du temps ("Quartet for the end of time") for the four available instruments—piano, violin, cello and clarinet. It was first performed by Messiaen and fellow prisoners for an audience of inmates and prison guards.

He found birdsong fascinating, believed birds to be the greatest musicians, and considered himself as much an ornithologist as a composer. He notated bird songs worldwide and incorporated birdsong transcriptions into most of his music. His innovative use of colour, his conception of the relationship between time and music, his use of birdsong and his desire to express religious ideas are among features that make Messiaen's music distinctive. - Wikipedia

Here's the Spotify playlist: Olivier Messiaen: Complete Chronological Catalogue (357 tracks from more than 60 albums, total time: 36 hours) Ctrl (CMD)+G to browse in album view. Méditations sur le mystère de la Sainte Trinité in this playlist was recorded on the organ of Trinité Church, where Messiaen served as organist for 61 years. You can also hear the composer plays the piano in Poèmes pour Mi in the previous playlist Composer As Pianist. For newbies, try 4 Etudes de rythme, Zion Park et la cité céleste, Quartet For The End Of Time and Vingt Regards Sur L'enfant Jesus first.

Messiaen is Elliott Carter's senior by one day, happy 103rd birthday too.

Below is a list of works in this playlist, including English translation for the original French titles. All works are linked to introductory articles.

• Offrande au Saint Sacrement / Offering to the Holy Sacrement (c.1925-30)
• Le banquet céleste / The Celestial Banquet (1926)
• Prelude ,for organ (1928)
• 8 Preludes, for piano (1929)
• Diptyque: Essai sur la vie terrestre et l'éternité bienheureux / Diptych: Essay on the Earthly Life and the Blessed Eternity (1929)
• Les offrandes oubliée: Méditation symphonique / The Necessary/Required Offerings: Symphonic Meditation (1930)
• La Mort du nombre / The Death of Numbers (1930)
• Trois mélodies / Three Melodies (1930)
• Le Tombeau resplendissant / The Shining Tomb (1931)
• Apparition de l'église éternelle / Apparition of the Eternal Church (1932)
• Fantasie burlesque / Burlesque Fantasy (1932)
• Hymne au Saint Sacrement / Hymn to the Holy Sacrament (1932)
• Theme and Variations, for violin & piano (1932)
• L'Ascension / Ascension Day, for orchestra (1933)
• L'Ascension: Quatre Méditations Symphoniques / Ascension Day: Four Symphonic Meditations, for organ (1933)
• Fantasy (for violin and piano) (1933)
• Pièce pour la tombeau de Paul Dukas / Piece for the Tomb of Paul Dukas (1935)
• Vocalise-Etude / Vocalize  Study (1935)
• La Nativité du Seigneur: Neuf méditations / The Nativity of the Lord: Nine Meditations (1935)
• Poèmes pour Mi / Poems for Mi (1936, orchestrated 1937)
• Oraison, for ondes martenot (1937)
• Fête des belles eaux / Celebration of the beautiful waters (1937)
• O sacrum convivium / O Sacred Banquet (1937)
• Les Corps glorieux: Sept visions brèves de la vie des ressuscités / The Glorious Bodies: Seven Brief Visions of the Li / Songs of the Earth and the Sky (1939)
• Quatuor pour la fin du temps / Quartet for the End of Time (1941)
• Visions de l'amen / Visions of the Amen (1943)
• Rondeau /  Rondo (1943)
• Trois petites liturgies de la Présence divine / Three Small Liturgies on the Divine Presence (1943)
• Vingt regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus / Twenty Gazes/Looks at the Infant Jesus (1944)
• Chants des déportés / Songs of the Deported (1945)
• Harawi: Chants d'amour et de mort / Harawi: Songs of love and death (1945)
• Turangalîla-Symphonie / Turangalila Symphony (1948)
• Cinq rechants / Five Refrains (1948)
• Cantéyodjayâ / [Untranslatable] (1949)
• Messe de la Pentecôte / Mass for Pentecost (1950)
• Quatre études de rythme / Four Studies in Rhythm (1950)
• Livre d'orgue / Manual for the Organ (1950)
• Le Merle noir / The Blackbird (1952)
• Réveil des oiseaux / The Waking of the Birds (1953)
• Oiseaux exotiques / Exotic birds (1956)
• Catalogue d'Oiseaux / Catalogue of Birds (1958)
• Chronochromie / Chronochrome/Color of Time (1960)
• Verset pour la fête de la Dédicace / Verse for the Feast of the Dedication (1960)
• Sept haïkaï / Seven Haiku (1962)
• Monodie / Monody (1963)
• Couleurs de la cité céleste / Colors of the Celestial City (1963)
• Prelude, for piano (1964)
• Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum / In Expectation of a Resurrection After Death (1964)
• La Transfiguration de Notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ / The Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ (1965)
• Méditations sur le mystère de la Sainte Trinité / Meditations on the Mystery of the Holy Trinity (1969)
• La Fauvette des jardins / The Garden Warbler (1970)
• Des canyons aux étoiles... / From the Canyons to the Stars... (1974)
• Saint François d'Assise / Saint Francis of Assisi (1979)
• Livre du Saint Sacrement / Book of the Holy Sacrament (1984)
• Petites esquisses d'oiseaux / Small Sketches of Birds (1985)
• Chant dans le style Mozart / Song in the style of Mozart (1986)
• Un vitrail et des oiseaux / A Stained-Glass Window and the Birds (1986)
• La Ville d'en haut / The City of the Proud (1987)
• Eclairs sur l'Au-Delà / Illuminations of the Beyond (1988-92)
• Un sourire / A Smile (1989)
• Pièce pour piano et quatuor à cordes / Piece for Piano and String Quartet (1991)
• Concert à quatre / Concerto for Four (1992)
• Feuillets inédits, for ondes Martenot (unknown)